Chapter 4
Mia's father was named Daniel Marlowe.
Elena's younger brother.
That surprised me.
Not lover.
Brother.
Mia was Clara's cousin.
Elena had taken her in after Daniel disappeared and Mia's mother died during delivery.
The letter explained enough.
Daniel discovered Richard Ashford meeting with three Hale capos behind my back.
He confronted Elena.
Then vanished.
I stared at the page.
Catherine stood near the window.
“You knew Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He worked security for one of our east properties.”
“What happened?”
“He disappeared eight months ago.”
“Same time Mia was born.”
“Yes.”
I looked at her.
“And nobody asked?”
“Richard said Daniel stole from the family.”
There.
Character assassination.
Always useful when someone inconvenient disappears.
I laughed bitterly.
“Richard said.”
Catherine looked away.
I continued reading.
Daniel left me evidence of what they were doing.
I hid it where only Clara could reach it.
Victoria knows that much.
She does not know where.
I looked toward the ballroom through the glass wall.
Victoria had tried to search Clara's pocket.
Tried to seize the photograph.
Tried to take Mia's blanket.
She wasn't looking for children.
She was looking for something hidden on them.
I went back downstairs.
Victoria was no longer beneath the wedding-card cabinet.
She stood near Richard.
Wedding gown damaged.
Face red.
Still arrogant.
“You finally finished your little bedtime story?”
I stared.
“Daniel Marlowe.”
Richard's face changed.
Victoria recovered.
“Who?”
I almost smiled.
“Wrong.”
She frowned.
“Richard reacted.”
Her father looked at her.
Too late.
I stepped closer.
“Where is Daniel?”
Richard crossed his arms.
“Dead.”
Silence.
Victoria turned toward him.
He had not meant to say it that plainly.
I stared.
“How do you know?”
Richard's face hardened.
“He ran with dangerous men.”
“Which men?”
“No idea.”
“Then how do you know he's dead?”
Silence.
Victoria interrupted.
“Adrian, stop.”
I turned.
She smiled bitterly.
“You have two crying girls upstairs and suddenly you're a detective.”
“No.”
“You've always been like this.”
“What?”
“Elena says jump, Adrian jumps.”
I stared.
“She hasn't spoken to me in four years.”
“And she still controls you.”
There.
Jealousy.
Old.
Deep.
“You hated her before we met?”
Victoria laughed.
“Before you noticed me.”
Silence.
I finally understood.
The engagement wasn't simply alliance.
It was competition with a woman I thought had vanished.
Victoria stepped closer.
“You gave Elena that pendant.”
I stared.
“How did you know?”
She froze.
Clara's photograph had shown it.
But Victoria knew about the gift itself.
Specific.
“You saw it before today.”
Her face went pale.
Richard whispered:
“Victoria.”
She snapped:
“Shut up.”
Then looked at me.
“Yes.”
Silence.
“I saw Elena wearing it.”
“When?”
Her eyes hardened.
“Four years ago.”
My stomach turned.
The year Clara was born.
Victoria had known from the beginning.
Not six months.
Four years.
I stared.
“You knew Clara was mine.”
She said nothing.
“Four years.”
Nothing.
“And you stood beside me every time I said I wanted children someday.”
Victoria smiled cruelly.
May you like
“You already had one.”
The room went dead silent.
